A Memory Long Since Past
by Nicole97
Summary: Jack's questions and unknown desires are not quenched after the Christmas escapade. He still has the struggle that seems like he's trying to resurface a memory he barely attained, trying to remember a dream, so he sets off to find what's nagging him. Rated K, and I didn't make the cover photo, but I'm about to draw one of my own!
1. Chapter 1

** -As you may have noticed, Sally doesn't exist in this Fiction. I am basing this crossover from the original poem by Tim Burton where Sally and Oogie Boogie do not exist. I did this because is obvious that this is a Jack/Emily story and I can't bring myself to break Sally's poor little heart!-**

"Happy Halloween!" Sandy Claws said waving from the sky.

"Merry Christmas!" Jack called back, his long skeleton arm waving, and to the town's merriment, it started to snow!

Jack held up his arms to catch the falling flurries, the soft fluffy ice reminding him of his time in Christmas town. And something else before he couldn't quite place his bony finger on.

"Like a memory long since past."

He mumbled amidst the frolicking town, quickly picking up on what the small elves were doing in Christmas town, building snowmen, making snow angels, and even hockey!

Some started to notice he was standing out and not joining in on all the fun, so as he had done plenty of times before, he slipped away to the graveyard out of the notice of the citizens of Halloween Town and made refuge on the large hill, looking odd, but beautiful covered in snow.

No, taking over Christmas did not quench his curiosity and only intensified his need to find out what was on the back of his mind, constantly nagging him to be set free, but as much as he tried to help it, there seemed to be a stronger force holding him back.

He huffed and sat on the hill, snow deep enough to cover his legs.

His situation reminded him of his Lament the night before he ran into Christmas Town. Despite everything he went through since then, he hadn't solved any of his problems he addressed. Well, other than finding out the hard way that you shouldn't mess with anyone else's stuff.

A small bark sounded from behind him, and floating up the hill was his ghost dog, Zero.

He greeted Jack with a nuzzle from his glowing nose and let out a questioning whine as to why the Pumpkin King was still troubled.

"I don't know Zero. I'm trying to remember something of my past, but can't get through when I first came to Halloween Town. So naive and eager to fill my empty skull. Perhaps I packed in too much?" He asked hopelessly.

Zero cocked his head to the side questioning his reasoning. No, his cranium was far from full!

He gathered a possible solution and stood up in triumph.

"Eureka! I should go on a quest to find where I came from before I became the legendary Pumpkin King! I couldn't have just popped out of thin air, could I?"

He began pacing along the top of the hill, excitement pouring out of every pore! Metaphorically speaking, a skeleton wouldn't have pores.

"I am a skeleton, the remains of a person, so perhaps I was once alive! I could just be trying to remember my life before now! None of the other citizens seem to remember anything other than Halloween town. Maybe death erases your mind somehow!"

He started to trot back to the town with Zero floating at his heels.

"I hope this doesn't go wrong, like last time I set out on a quest!"

Unfortunately, when he returned to the town, they had all retired to their beds and coffins. It had been a long night, and no one had gotten any sleep thanks to Jack's death scare.

He too should be tired after being shot from the sky, but he was so excited to find out who he really was!

"Well Zero, sleep seems to make time lapse. Maybe I could try and sleep tonight, but I'm not making any promises!"

To his surprise, as soon as he slipped into his PJs and slipped into his bed, he felt the energy sap out of his bony body.

The next morning, the whole town wanted to hang around him all day, as if he would die if he slipped out of sight again. Understanding, he decided to stay and enjoy the feast they prepared for his homecoming.

"Jack! We missed you so!" One of the witches said swooning.

"Yes, what would we possibly do without you! Why, Halloween wouldn't be nearly as charming without you in it!" The other said before giggling with the other ladies they sat with.

So they to the normal routine where Jack laughs nervously and pretends to let the advance fly over his head.

He looked around the table to engage in conversation in hopes to bring his attention away from the girls and his empty sockets met with Dr. Ficklestien.

Yes, if anyone were to know about what lies before Halloween Town, it would be him, the smartest doctor around!

Yet he didn't want to bring his question to the attention of everyone at the dinner, so he made a mental note to talk with him first thing after the meal.

After a few hours of joking, eating, and telling tales of how scared the living were with Jack as Sandy, the citizens cleared up the remains of the large feast and let Jack go about his own duties.

"Dr. Ficklestien!" Jack called chasing the Dr's wheelchair, pushed by his new wife, who had been made while Jack was off with Christmas.

"Hello Jack." The Dr greeted. "I must say, I'm surprised to see you with something else on your mind so soon."

"You have a point," Jack said shrugging. "But, my trip brought a question to my mind."

"Well spit it out dear boy, you're shacking like a leaf on the eve of Autumn!"

"Did anything exist for me before Halloween town?"

The Dr just bobbed his head in a slight nod. "Come with me." He said and the three walked and wheeled their way to Dr. Ficklestien's house and laboratory.

"A life before Halloween Town," the Dr said wheeling in through the front door. "It did exist, for all of us. Every citizen in Halloween town was, in fact, alive at some point."

Jack perked up. "Really? Why don't we remember any of it? Does death wipe out memories clean?"

"Not exactly." The Dr said searching for a book on a large bookshelf. "I too don't possess any of my memories, so bare with me, but if I remember correctly-" He selected a book off the shelf. "Ah, here it is!"

Jack stood looking over his shoulder as he flipped through the pages before stopping at one.

Dr. Ficklestien cleared his throat.

"To be allowed to assume the role of Halloween, the deceased or cursed must have their memories wiped with an anonymous potion to best serve their Holiday without the distraction of the outside world." He read aloud. "Well, whoever wrote this would be strongly disappointed with your recent actions involving Christmas."

"Will they enforce this rule?"

The Dr laughed. "No, it must just be a guideline for all those who join Halloween Town. It also says that the citizens volunteered to have their memories wiped and to come to Halloween Town in seek of happiness."

This wasn't what Jack wanted to hear. He had hoped he had had a great life, not to be told his reason of being here was due to being miserable. Yet this made him even more curious to find out about his previous life.

"Do you have anymore there?" Jack asked hopefully.

Dr. Ficklestien shook his head. "The only thing it says is how to get back to The Land Of The Dead, is that what you want?"

Jack couldn't turn it down. Maybe, it would spark some memories if he wandered around there for a while! He could find old friends and ask about his life too!

"Yes!" He blurted loud enough to cause Mrs. Ficklestien to jump and spill some soup she was making.

"Sorry ma'am." He mumbled before turning his attention back to the Dr.

"Alright, it says you have to say... Well, I'm not sure I want to say it, I don't want to go, I'm happy here, but read it." He turned the book to where Jack could read.

"Hopscotch?"

Before anything else could be said, crows filled the room and circled Jack. He let out a small shout before falling onto a stone floor, skull first.

"Uh, new arrival?" A woman's gritty voice questioned.

"No way! He's pure bone! He's long been dead! He just switched realms!" An Italian accented voice retorted.

Jack cracked open one eye to see a dismembered head with cockroaches supporting it.

This would faze a squeamish mortal, but Jack was the Pumpkin King, he was more than used to this.

"Well hello." He mumbled sitting up. "I assume I made it to The Land Of The Dead."

"Si, Si!"


	2. Chapter 2

Despite not being a freshly killed guy, the dead still celebrated Jack's "Homecoming" with jazz music and strong drinks. But despite everyone knowing him as the famous Pumpkin King, no one seemed to know who he was before hand.

"I don't remember no Jack, that forgetting stuff must've change your name." A fellow skeleton in a bowler hat told him.

"Does no one even remember what I look like?" Jack complained hopelessly.

The skeleton, who's name was Bonejangels, just shrugged.

"You must not 'ave been full bones when you left this place for Halloween Town. But you do seem familiar, from decades ago or somethin' like that. How long 'ave you been king of Halloween Town?"

"Nearly a century!" Jack answered proudly.

Bonejangles nodded. "Well, I wish I could help you more, but from something that long ago, heck!"

Jack smiled trying to hide his disappointment and dismissed himself to talk to someone else in the partying crowd.

There were a few corpses that had evidence of a horrible death, but they seemed happy and pleased here. Jack seemed to be the only one troubled. He was unrecognizable! How was he to crack down on his identity when he didn't seem to have one?

When the party ended, Jack found himself doubting that he'd had any past at all. The room was empty soon, and Jack sighed, sinking down onto the piano bench.

His empty eye sockets scanned the uneven keys on the piano, and he lifted a bony hand to it to see if it was in tune.

To his surprise, it played beautifully despite it's appearance.

He started a soft, sad tune and almost zoned out entirely before he heard shuffling fabric.

He suddenly stopped and spun around around to face a lovely young woman who still retained most of her skin sans one arm and one leg. Curiously, she was in a wedding dress.

"Oh I'm sorry." She said backing away shyly. "It just- It just sounded like something I've heard before."

"No no, it's quite alright. I'm rather outgoing, so I don't mind if you listen in." Jack assured her, offering a toothy smile.

The bride lifted her delicate skeleton hand to her mouth and giggled. "Thank you. I, however am not very outgoing. I used to be."

Jack didn't question it further, he had only just met this girl.

"What's your name?" He asked instead.

"It's Emily." She replied softly, deeming it safe to sit next to him.

"Emily." He repeated. "That's a lovely name!"

She giggled shyly. "Thank you. What might your name be?"

"I'm Jack Skellington. You might have heard of me as the Pumpkin King. The big fish for Halloween."

Emily cocked her head to the side pondering. "I suppose I have heard of it, but I don't really, ah, pay much attention to Halloween."

"What! Halloween is an amazing holiday!"

"Well it is," Emily said trying to skirt around the subject. "But I have bad memories of it."

Jack again wanted to inquire further, but thought better of it. This woman was just about to steal his curiosity from himself!

"Oh." Was the only thing he could think of to say.

"It's not you or your citizen's fault. Well, it's one of their fault, but not you I'm sure." Emily quickly added, hoping she didn't offend Jack.

"Someone gave you a real bad scare?" Jack said offering a smile.

"I guess you could say that." Emily replied, not wanting to talk about it further.

Jack chuckled. "We've actually gotten quite boring these past years. Everyone expects everything we do, and most use Halloween to dress in a rather awkward manner!"

Emily was back to giggling again.

"I've noticed. This newer generation is a bit unruly!"

They sat in silence for a bit. Meeting someone new was always hard for Emily, but Jack should be better than this!

"So, um," Emily started, breaking the silence. "What brings you back to the Land Of The Dead?"

Jack deflated as he sighed. "Well, I was hoping to find out who I was before I accepted to go to Halloween Town, but no one seems to recognize me."

"Usually the troubled ones choose to have their minds wiped." Emily said remembering when a chunk of corpses were shipped out. "I too was considering to do it, you know, to forget my troubles, but I have great friends here."

"I'm sorry to hear that. A lot of people say that ignorance is bliss, but it pains me not to know what I was like."

Emily gazed up at Jack with sympathetic eyes. "I'd almost be too afraid to find out. Everyone who left had good reason to have their past erased."

Jack didn't know whether to agree with her or not. "I don't know." Was simply all he said.

Emily smiled sweetly and stood up from the piano's bench. "Well, I'm going to get going." She said holding her bony hand out to shake his. "It was nice to meet you Jack."

Jack stood and shook her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine!"

She smiled again before turning and leaving the Ball and Socket joint.

Jack found it interesting that she had a bad experience with one of his citizens. He promised himself he'd find out more of the subject as he got to know her. He hoped he did. She was very friendly and had a lot of knowledge. "Poor Emily, she must have been down here for a while." He said to himself before returning to his piano tunes.

**-I suppose this was a filler chapter, but it did have some key information to the story. The chapters are going to be fairly short so I'm able to post every night. It's also less of a mouthful to try to keep up with, and it's easier to flow. Hope you all like it!"**


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